February 21, 2015

I had a dream the other night in which I had left my Seven Arrows of Bast statues hidden in the tall grass around the edges of a field. I was going back to look for them, and I was afraid that someone else either had found them or would find them before I could get there. I located Wenut, and I was so glad to hold Her beautiful statue in my hands. I also was reassured for some reason that the next several statues, going clockwise around the field, were all going to be lions (which they aren’t actually — only Nefertem’s statue is actually a lion, although Heru-hekenu and Wadjet could both be depicted in that form).

It was a very vivid dream; also somewhat disturbing. I also came away with an unsettled feeling that Wenut wanted something from me. I thought about offering to Her, then put it off, then wondered if She was angry about that. Today I finally got up and dealt with it: I went into the shrine room, lit the incense that I had offered to Khonsu-Heru on the new moon (why not, since I was in there anyway), and offered Wenut one of Her favorites, warm milk with spices. I still couldn’t quite figure out what, if anything was going on, so I did some divination using Her oracle, which told me that the dream was indeed significant, but that there wasn’t any specific task I was supposed to. (Nor had I done anything to make Her unhappy, which was a relief, because I kept imagining that She was upset with me.) In the end, what She finally got across to me was, Just sit. Sit with Her, drink the milk, spend a few minutes in Her company. My mind stayed jittery, but even so. It was peaceful; it was good.

I think the dream might have been saying that I’ve sort of left the Seven Arrows “out in the field,” as it were. I haven’t been paying them a lot of attention — well, I was largely out of the Kemetic action for nigh on a year, getting my brain meats back in order, and coming back, my first priority of course has been Bast. But I need to not forget about them, even if I’m not doing anything large or profound in relation to them. I need to bring them back to my house.

How long does it take to sit in quiet reflection and drink a mug of warm milk? How long does it take to let a stick of incense burn down until the last pale swirls of smoke have faded? Not long at all. And yet it can make a great difference.

February 5, 2015

Today was the festival known as The Eye of Ra Calls the Shemsu. In Kemetic Orthodoxy, it’s a time to contemplate the vows that we’ve taken (or that we might be considering taking). To celebrate the festival, this evening I performed a small ritual of reading my vows, making offerings, and singing songs.

Tonight was also the night that I reopened my State shrine after nearly a year of hiatus. It felt like an auspicious night for it, since my shrine is after all named for the Eye of Ra (“The Eye of Ra Watches over Them”); and it also served to underscore the importance of the service that I’ve pledged myself to. So here I am, back again, renewed in Zep Tepi, ready to do my Mother’s work once more.

March 4, 2014

These are the three different icons that have been used in my state shrine over the years. The first was the black-and-gold Summit Collection Bast on the left — just resin, and not the lion-Bast that I usually “get,” but this was a good icon for me. On the right is the bronze that I’ve been using lately. It’s a copy of the Bast from my set of Seven Arrows. Lovely, but a little too small. The new one is in the center, striking the balance betwen them.

Here She is in close up.

And a clearer view, taken by the foundry.

She was created by Lena Toritch of Young Fine Art Studio in Salt Lake City. I can definitely recommend Lena’s work!

March 1, 2014

Kissing the ground before Ra and the Eye of Ra:
Hail to You, great ones, who shine in the heavens!
May You be kind to me, may You love me,
may You embrace me in the course of every day.

Today marks the beginning of the fourth and last month of the season of Peret (Growing), and it’s also the beginning of a whole clutch of Bast festivals. Today through March 4 is the Feast of Ra and the Eye of Ra; March 4 is also the much-beloved Day of Chewing Onions for Bast; and March 5 is a Boat Procession of Bast. Add to that the fact that I’m having my annual Onion Day get-together for local House of Netjer members next weekend, and it’ll be a very busy week.

Today I made many offerings: a new candle, lotus incense, and a sun-dried tomato bagel in the morning; flowers at noon; a steak dinner and jewelry (new bracelets and anklets) in the evening; and mint-chocolate-chip cookies for dessert. Tomorrow I plan to work on some heka crafts, and also to go outside and spend some time under Ra’s sky before the oncoming snow storm buries us again.

On Tuesday, Onion Day, I’m planning to offer my “Eye of Ra salad”: greens, onions, oranges, feta cheese, and either chicken or duck. (I had this at a restaurant once, and realized that it was in fact the perfect salad for Her.)

On Tuesday, I’m also expecting to receive my new bronze state shrine icon, which was finished and shipped out last week — synchronistic timing!

Wednesday through Friday I’m taking off work in order to thoroughly spring clean the house before the Onion Day get-together. (Wednesday I’ll probably do something to mark the Boat Procession, though I don’t yet know what.)

And then on Saturday: fellowship, shrine-building and offerings, heka, and a big old bloomin’ onion.

January 4, 2014

Writing today, and the Rite, and I came out of the shrine room floating on the squee of my Mother’s love, despite the fact that I hadn’t quite been able to get all of the story babble out of my mind. She understands.

I went to put my jewelry back on, and accidentally (or not) picked up the bracelet that signifies my shrine service to me, along with my Shemsu-Ankh scarab necklace. I haven’t been wearing the bracelet lately, on account of feeling that my service wasn’t all it should be, but in my giddiness I thought, yes, today it seems appropriate, especially since it sort of presented itself to me. I put the scarab necklace down while I put on the bracelet and then my silver pendants. And when I went to pick up the scarab again, and I saw how I’d randomly (or not) put down the necklace. In the shape of a heart.

January 1, 2014

I feel very clear tonight, more so than I have in a long time. I got the balance right today, more or less: morning into afternoon of writing; state rite and some blog catch-up at night; and throughout, plenty of rest and kitty love-loves.

Kneeling before the shrine, it was right, it was good, I was content. And then my mind nearly got away from me, scattering off to make plans for all the many, many things I could potentially spend my gradually improving energy on (crafts! book reviews! buying shiny things for Bast!). But I pulled it back. Not that I’m not ever going to do those things, but — right now I need to be very circumspect, very careful. Let’s make sure I’m balancing these two plates — writing and temple service — consistently before I start trying again to spin a dozen others all at once. And when I do start reaching out, instead of busy, overambitious plans that are likely to overwhelm me before I even start, I want to keep it very simple — just one thing at a time, just what’s right before me in the moment.

I have, not a superstition exactly, but more like a principle, that whatever I spend the turning of the secular year doing will reflect how I spend the rest of the year. I did well this year, I think, writing at the turn of midnight last night and doing just what I wanted to today. So may it continue, and may 2014 be a good year — for all of my readers too, as well as for me.